Like You Always Have
by desolate
Summary: Ino reflects as Naruto leaves. NaruIno


WR: Ino reflects when Naruto leaves. NaruIno. And they're in their 20s here. This has no relation to any other so-called fics I've written.  
  
~*~  
  
You're leaving? Leaving already? Why? How? When? What? I'm holding your hand, but I can't hold you; I'm looking into your eyes, but it seems like you're trying to close them. Yeah, I'm trying to be with you, but you're running away, and I can't help but wonder why. Is it because of me? Is my hair too short? Or too long? Or is it the clothes that I wear? Or the flowers that I give? Because if it's that, if it's any of that, I'd be willing to change it. Is it the way I talk? Or the way I walk and laugh and scream and yell? Because if it's any of that, I'd change it for you. Because, goddamnit, I'm not letting you get away this time; not you, the one who I want to spend the rest of my days with, not you, the one who I struggled with and cried with, no, not you.  
  
What? You're standing up now? And you're brushing the dirt off of your clothes? No, don't do that. Rewind. Stay with me, or at least press the pause button so I'll be able to stay here forever. Then rewind again to when we first started. When it was us, and no-one else, because that's what I want. Yeah, you were like a remedy then, and you're like one now, except you're leaving, and I don't know who to heal me anymore.  
  
And your hands, no! They're leaving mine! Please, please, don't take them away. I'm sitting on our bench, and I can't even stand up. What? You're calling my name? Yeah. Ino, Ino, it's always Ino, but you never really did add the -chan to the end; never like you called Sakura, never like you called her. And I suppose it's easier this way - for me to think you never really did love me anyway, for me to think I was so stupid to fall for you. Because then I can get over you. And I can learn to live without you. Yeah. Without you.  
  
"Ino, stand up," you call to me. Naruto, Naruto, Naruto, when will you ever understand that I don't want to come with you? Because I'll always remember my last moments with you to be full of tears, and anguish and despair, and I want to remember you as the boy you are now. Yeah, so that when I grow even older, I can say to myself that you weren't worth crying over, and that I didn't care for you enough to send you off.  
  
"Nee, Naruto-kun," I find myself saying. Why, why, why does your name roll of my tongue? And why can't I stop myself from asking you these questions?  
  
"Eh?"  
  
And yeah, I grip your hand again. I don't care this time that I have to reach out, that I finally seem vulnerable and lost - because I am lost. Because I do want to have you close with me. Because you're mine. And over possessive or not, I don't care.  
  
"Come on, Ino," you sit back down again. Are you staying this time? Until when? Until I'll fall for you even harder, and you can finally rip me apart again? Then it's better you leave now, maybe next time I won't be able to face it.  
  
"It's not like the mission is that hard," you say to me. And I can't help but snort and snicker at your attempt of consoling me. "I mean, it's not like I'm going to die, right?"  
  
But you are. You are. Because no-one's come back from that mission yet. And when that messenger comes to visit me to remind me that you're gone, I'll die. And I can't despise you for leaving me behind, I can't hate you for not growing old with me; yeah, because I think I love you too much.  
  
"I'm going to be late if you keep on going like this," you say.  
  
"So what if you're late?"  
  
"Eh?"  
  
"I said so what if you're late," I respond, and I look into your eyes and I can see the pain in them. It's better off that way. Maybe then you won't leave. "So what if you don't go on leading them again? I don't care. Your business is none of mine."  
  
"Nee, Ino."  
  
"Just shut up, Naruto," I tell you. And you do shut up. And I want to cry because of that. "Leave for all I care. Don't leave and I won't even give a damn."  
  
"Is that really the way you want it?"  
  
And I choke, and I clutch my hands, and I brush back my hair, and I nod, and I say that yes, it is the way I want it.  
  
So you leave.  
  
And I'm here wondering if I'll ever hear your voice again, if I'll ever see your smile again, if I'll ever get to hold you again.  
  
'Cause boy, you better come back here and save me from this mess.  
  
Just like you always have.  
  
~*~  
  
WR: Oh dear, I hope no-one actually got through reading this. Wrote it in little less than 10 minutes, so sorry for wasting your time. This makes me shudder. And if anyone knows any good Naruto/Ino fics out there please tell me. I'm addicted. Because those two are like a drug. And we at my age always love impossible pairings. 


End file.
